Ocala Regional trauma center to open

Staff report

Published: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 9:22 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 9:22 a.m.

Ocala Regional Medical Center's new trauma center opens Saturday, offering a new level of care to critically injured patients that until now was available only at hospitals in Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa.

Ocala Regional officials announced late Friday that the Florida Department of Health had approved the Level II Trauma Center designation and that the facility in Ocala will begin accepting patients at 7 a.m. tomorrow.

“This designation means we can now provide residents of Marion and surrounding counties with trauma care in their own community and ensure that critically injured patients have access to treatment faster, which could mean the difference between life and death,” said Randy McVay, chief executive officer of Ocala Health, which includes Ocala Regional and West Marion Community Hospital. “We are proud to be able to meet a true community need for easier access to comprehensive trauma care when minutes matter.”

The addition of a trauma unit here closes a significant gap in health care services in Marion County.

Nearly 300 seriously injured people last year were taken by ambulance or helicopter to either Shands Hospital in Gainesville or Tampa for trauma medical care.

Having a trauma center here is expected to significantly reduce the time it takes a patient to receive critical medical care.

Ocala Regional officials said they have invested more than $6.5 million in the effort. The hospital added a helipad on the roof and resuscitation rooms in the emergency department, and provided critical care training for staff at all levels of patient care. It also added more than 40 new staff members and 15 specialists to handle the most serious emergencies.

Dr. Darwin Noel Ang will be its medical director. The new trauma center will serve Marion, Hernando and Citrus counties.

In a July interview, Ang noted the importance of the trauma center.

“Trauma is the number one cause of death for anyone under the age of 45 ...,” he said. “A trauma center is not just an emergency department. A trauma center is a complex system of professionals, services and infrastructure set up to treat people's injuries and save lives.”

Unlike a Level 1 trauma center, Ocala Regional's Level 2 trauma center will not offer specialized care for pediatric trauma or a burn unit. But officials said the trauma center will still be able to stabilize those patients before sending them off for specialized treatment.

Ang is the assistant professor, trauma surgery and critical care at the University of Florida/Shands Medical Center. He is the principle investigator and coordinator of the Department of Surgery for Quality and Clinical Outcomes Database at UF. He was also the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of U.S. Biomedical Information Systems.

The trauma center is one of several construction projects underway at Ocala Regional, including a $7.2 million project to overhaul the exterior of the hospital and the addition of an underground parking area.

Ocala Regional and West Marion Hospital are owned by Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world.

<p>Ocala Regional Medical Center's new trauma center opens Saturday, offering a new level of care to critically injured patients that until now was available only at hospitals in Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa.</p><p>Ocala Regional officials announced late Friday that the Florida Department of Health had approved the Level II Trauma Center designation and that the facility in Ocala will begin accepting patients at 7 a.m. tomorrow.</p><p>“This designation means we can now provide residents of Marion and surrounding counties with trauma care in their own community and ensure that critically injured patients have access to treatment faster, which could mean the difference between life and death,” said Randy McVay, chief executive officer of Ocala Health, which includes Ocala Regional and West Marion Community Hospital. “We are proud to be able to meet a true community need for easier access to comprehensive trauma care when minutes matter.”</p><p>The addition of a trauma unit here closes a significant gap in health care services in Marion County.</p><p>Nearly 300 seriously injured people last year were taken by ambulance or helicopter to either Shands Hospital in Gainesville or Tampa for trauma medical care.</p><p>Having a trauma center here is expected to significantly reduce the time it takes a patient to receive critical medical care.</p><p>Ocala Regional officials said they have invested more than $6.5 million in the effort. The hospital added a helipad on the roof and resuscitation rooms in the emergency department, and provided critical care training for staff at all levels of patient care. It also added more than 40 new staff members and 15 specialists to handle the most serious emergencies.</p><p>Dr. Darwin Noel Ang will be its medical director. The new trauma center will serve Marion, Hernando and Citrus counties.</p><p>In a July interview, Ang noted the importance of the trauma center.</p><p>“Trauma is the number one cause of death for anyone under the age of 45 ...,” he said. “A trauma center is not just an emergency department. A trauma center is a complex system of professionals, services and infrastructure set up to treat people's injuries and save lives.”</p><p>Unlike a Level 1 trauma center, Ocala Regional's Level 2 trauma center will not offer specialized care for pediatric trauma or a burn unit. But officials said the trauma center will still be able to stabilize those patients before sending them off for specialized treatment.</p><p>Ang is the assistant professor, trauma surgery and critical care at the University of Florida/Shands Medical Center. He is the principle investigator and coordinator of the Department of Surgery for Quality and Clinical Outcomes Database at UF. He was also the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of U.S. Biomedical Information Systems.</p><p>The trauma center is one of several construction projects underway at Ocala Regional, including a $7.2 million project to overhaul the exterior of the hospital and the addition of an underground parking area.</p><p>Ocala Regional and West Marion Hospital are owned by Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of health care facilities in the world.</p>